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REM Man on the Moon Music Video

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American alternative rock band R.E.M. worked with director Peter Ware to produce a music video for “Man on the Moon”, the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song is inspired by the life of comedian Andy Kaufman and became the centrepiece of the biographical movie, Man on the Moon. Listen out for references to the July 20 1969 landing on the moon, along with Andy Kaufman’s Elvis Presley impersonation and wrestling with Fred Blassie and Jerry Lawler.

Michael Stipe, wearing a cowboy hat, walks along a desert road. He leaps onto a passing truck, driven by Bill Berry, and hitches a ride to a truck stop where Peter Buck is tending bar and Mike Mills is shooting pool. Berry trades his truck seat for a bar stool, and along with a few of the other customers (in the shooting they used both actors and non-actors), sings along during the choruses. After finishing his order of fries, Stipe leaves and walks off into the dusk. Footage from Andy Kaufman’s shows and the lunar landing appears on a small television set in the truck stop.

Credits

The Man on the Moon music video was directed by Peter Care via Satellite Films with production designer/art director Jan Peter Flack and editor Robert Duffy, Spotwelders. Care is now represented by Bob Industries who host Man on the Moon as a see the quicktime video. Filming was shot over three days in the desert, at Lancaster in the Antelope Valley area of California, in October 1992.

Awards

Man on the Moon received six nominations at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards (Best Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Best Direction in a Video, Best Art Direction in a Video, Best Editing in a Video, Viewers’ Choice). s ranked #41 on Rolling Stone magazine’s The 100 Top Music Videos.

Lyrics

Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Monopoly, twenty one, checkers, and chess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let’s play Twister, let’s play Risk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
See you in heaven if you make the list. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? Hey baby, are we losing touch?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool

Moses went walking with the staff of wood. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Newton got beaned by the apple good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? Hey baby, are you having fun?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool

Here’s a little agit for the never-believer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here’s a little ghost for the offering. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Here’s a truck stop instead of Saint Peter’s. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Andy Kaufman’s gone wrestling (wrestling bears). Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? Hey baby, are we losing touch?
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool

If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there’s nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool

Neighbouring Posts

« « John F Kennedy Speech on Travel to the Moon | We Choose The Moon » »

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 18th, 2009 at 11:47 am and is filed under Inspiration, Music Videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Tags: Bob Industries, Peter Care, REM, Robert Duffy, Satellite Films, Spotwelders

Posted in Inspiration, Music Videos

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